


Hey Mister DJ, Put a Record On

by honeysucklepink



Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Co-workers, M/M, Oblivious Dumbasses In Love, Sexual Content, liberal use of radio industry lingo, pineapple on pizza
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-25 14:35:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 17,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22497685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honeysucklepink/pseuds/honeysucklepink
Summary: It's Valentine's Day, and single coworkers Kurt and Blaine are stuck at the campus radio station playing sappy love songs and dedications. All the cheese is giving them indigestion, but who knows? Maybe by the end of their shift, they'll be humming a different tune...
Relationships: Blaine Anderson/Kurt Hummel, Sam Evans/Mercedes Jones
Comments: 131
Kudos: 127
Collections: 2020 Klaine Valentines Challenge





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my submission to the 2020 Klaine Valentine Challenge! I mean, it's two weeks of love songs as prompts, I'm a former disc jockey, how could I NOT finally do Klaine-as-DJs? This is the prologue that sets the scene. Chapters and songs start tomorrow night! Finally thanks to bowtiesandboatshoes/kriskubed for being my beta for this story! UPDATE 2/14/2020: And thanks to CoffeeAddict80 for the art!
> 
> Mostly teen and up, BUT last two chapters are Mature!

Blaine Anderson never expected to find himself working at the campus radio station when he went to college. It just...sort of happened. 

It started when his fraternity big brother Wes was assigned to be the student program director for the station. He knew Blaine was a music major and made the too obvious connection: “Blaine, you like music, right? How would you like to spend a few hours a week on the radio playing music and talking about it?” So he hired Blaine, plus a couple of other people he assumed would be good at DJing for whatever reason. In retrospect, Wes probably had no idea what he was doing. He at least knew how to wield a gavel at weekly staff meetings.

Being a music major didn’t automatically mean Blaine knew how to be an on-air personality. There was a steep learning curve. He had to learn how the sound board worked (good practice for recording booths in his future, he figured), where to set the mic’s volume so that it didn’t peak into distortion levels, how to segue the songs so the end of one seamlessly faded into the start of another, when to play the bumpers and sweepers (not to mention, what the heck bumpers and sweepers _were_ in the first place), how to order songs so that you didn’t have abrupt transitions (a jump from, say, Norah Jones to Black Flag would be jarring to say the least. And no, the station had no set format). And above all else, _no dead air._ That was a cardinal sin in radio.

Also, being the newest DJ, Blaine got the crap shifts. No one wanted the evenings (especially on weekends) because that was when everyone went out, or when the best television was on. It meant he had to DVR _Schitt’s Creek_ (and it was the final season, dammit) and miss open mic night at Callbacks. And needless to say it meant no social life. But there was a saving grace, and that was the Friday afternoon shift manned by one angelic voice by the name of Kurt Hummel.

Kurt was a year ahead of him and was the station’s music director. He was awesome in that he gave the DJs autonomy over their playlists. There were songs in the regular rotation that were required, but otherwise they had free reign. So amidst the hits by the Lumineers, Lana Del Rey, and Twenty-One Pilots, one could guess the DJ by what _else_ was playing. If it was Dan & Shay or Jason Isbell, you knew Blaine's roomie Sam was behind the board. Or if you heard the soothing runs of Frankie Beverly or Toni Braxton, well then Mercedes was in “Quiet Storm” mode. 

Kurt was the resident Broadway geek, with a twist...sure his shift would include classic tracks from the cast albums of _Company_ and _Wicked_ , but he would toss in a song from Leslie Odom Jr.’s solo album, or something from the _Hamilton Mixtape_ (speaking of Hamilton he even shocked Blaine one day with Weird Al Yankovic’s accordion tribute). Kurt had great and eclectic taste in music. He was also quite frankly gorgeous. Glacier-blue eyes, chestnut hair styled to soft perfection, and a penchant for the tightest jeans possible that highlighted his...assets. Blaine had the on-air shift after Kurt, and DJs were required to show up for their shifts a half hour in advance, to give them time to pick music and bumpers for the hour, pull the latest forecast from the AP Wire, and have the other DJ update them on any equipment issues, song requests, and other miscellany. After chatting up Kurt on the first day, Blaine would come in a full hour ahead if his class schedule permitted. They had _so much_ in common. Both gay, from Ohio, show choir vets, lifetime _Vogue_ subscribers and Broadway.com premium members, he could talk to Kurt all day. _How was this person single?_ , he thought.

The answer came on Valentine’s Day. A day of love for the coupled-up, a day of dread for the rest.

“Ugh, if I have to hear one more dedication I’m going to hurl,” Kurt announced unprompted, the moment Blaine walked into the studio. “I love a good ballad as much as the rest but the ones people request? The most insipid, saccharine sentiments I’ve ever had to endure. When I get home I’m pouring bleach in my ears.”

“Oof, Happy Valentine’s Day to you too, Kurt,” Blaine said, storing his messenger bag in the cubby next to the rack of CDs. “So Wes’s promotional idea isn’t up your alley?”

Kurt shook his head. “The only thing worse than the songs people are asking for is the bumper he created. Listen to this.” He flipped a couple of switches on the board so that the audio wouldn’t go over the air, then clicked on a sound file: it played a clip of the Mamas and the Papas singing the chorus to “this is dedicated to the one I love,” followed by a comical sound effect of a flying arrow hitting a target and Wes’s voiceover, “NYADA Radio is playing Cupid, all day on V-Day!” Kurt gave Blaine an over exaggerated _bitch, please_ look.

“Well, the good news is I’m here, so I can take this off your hands,” Blaine said, looking at the list of songs that listeners had sent in along with the dedication messages. “You can go home and relax.”

“Yeah right. Rachel’s having Brody over and I’ll have to listen to them go at it like a couple of horny hyenas. I’ll just keep my headphones on while binging _Great British Bake-Off._ Again.” 

“Well, what about going out?”

“There’s not a place within several blocks of campus NOT doing some special Valentine promotion. Well, except the LARPing Club, but I’m just not into wizardry enough.”

Blaine thought about it. He hated the idea of Kurt sulking all night, and it’s not like he was looking forward to all those love song requests either. “There’s no reason you have to go home. You can stay and hang out with me.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure. Besides, I don’t know about you, but listening to all these love songs and dedications will likely just remind me of my singleness. It would be a lot easier to tolerate if I wasn’t actually doing it _alone_.”

“So...if we’re gonna be miserable, let’s at least be miserable together?” Kurt rolled his eyes, but with a little playful shrug.

Blaine winked, as he pulled a couple of CDs from the rack. “Something like that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't know the difference between a bumper and a sweeper? Here is a handy glossary of radio terminology to help you out: https://www.radioconnection.com/glossary/


	2. Just the Two of Us

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short one, but I hope to have longer ones as we go!

[Just the Two of Us (feat. Bill Withers) - Grover Washington Jr.](https://youtu.be/6POZlJAZsok)

As Blaine gathered up more songs for the first hour of his shift, Kurt was still on the air. The tell-tale “on-air” light above the studio door lit up as Kurt switched the mic knob and slid up the fader on the volume.

“And that was ‘Pumped-Up Kicks’ by Foster the People. You’re listening to NYADA Radio, I’m Kurt Hummel, playing Cupid for you, all day on V-Day.” Blaine stifled his laughter as Kurt’s pained face looked nothing like it belonged to the smooth practiced radio voice Kurt was delivering. “And speaking of, it’s time for another dedication. We’ve been gathering these from listeners all week, and you know, it’s not too late to send in yours as well. This one is going out to Will, from Terri, she simply says, ‘Will, give me another chance...we can make it if we try.’ Well that’s...awkward.” Kurt pressed play and continued to speak over the ramp of the song. “Let us know if you get that chance, Terri. Here’s Grover Washington featuring Bill Withers and ‘Just the Two of Us.’” 

As Bill Withers began to sing of crystal raindrops and castles in the sky, Blaine waited for the audio to come back and the light above the door to blink off. “Wow, this is an old song. A classic. I didn’t know we had this.”

“We don’t,” said Kurt. “When we started to get all of these random requests, I talked to Wes and we decided to pool resources. Sent an email to all the other DJs asking them to look at the requests and let us borrow what they could spare from their CD collections, just for today.” He waved the Washington CD case like a fan as he spoke. “This belongs to Mercedes.” 

“Oh, I...I saw the email but I didn’t read it. I’m sorry.” 

“It’s fine...it’s work email, unless it says URGENT THE STATION’S ON FIRE I’m probably skimming it too.” As the song played softly in the background, Kurt smiled. “It’s funny, I hate half the songs I’ve had to play today, but this one’s good. Reminds me of my parents.”

“That’s nice. I don’t think my parents had a special song or anything.”

“Oh mine had a lot of songs.” Kurt was wistful for a moment. “When I was little and my dad was starting up his auto repair business, Mom would bring me to the shop when she brought him lunch. He’d turn up the radio on the oldies station, and pull her in to dance. She’d fuss about him getting grease or oil on her, but it was always mixed with laughter. I definitely remember a day when they danced to this song.”

Blaine said, “I’ll bet they still do, even more now that you’re off at college.”

Kurt’s face fell just a little. “Yeah, um, not really?” 

“Oh God, what did I say wrong?” Blaine asked, stumbling through an apology in his head.

“Nothing really...well I mean I’m sure my dad still does with my step-mom. Dance, that is. My actual mom, um, died when I was eight.” Blaine’s own panic must have been obvious because now  _ Kurt _ had a panicked look on his face. “But it’s okay! I mean, like I said my dad remarried, and he and Carole are crazy in love, and crap Blaine I’m sorry, you didn’t know.”

When Kurt said that, he put both of his arms out to hold Blaine by the shoulders in a comforting gesture. Blaine took a breath and immediately relaxed. “No,  _ I’m _ sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed. But you looked happy, reminiscing just then.”

“Hey, it’s fine,” Kurt sighed. “It’s still a good memory. And Dad and Carole are starting new ones, and so am I. And I just hope I get more songs like this one.” The song had a minute left, and Kurt went to queue up another. “‘Cause if I have to play Firehouse’s ‘Love of a Lifetime’ again I’m going to throw things.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and commenting!


	3. Cute

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, a little bit of yesterday's song (or a version of it) carried over into today, hope y'all don't mind!
> 
> Also, there is a quick mention of Ryder in a dedication. Considering recent revelations about the actor that played him I thought I'd warn you just in case.

["Cute" by Stephen Jerzak](https://youtu.be/zoBEuwq2VQk)

As Kurt continued to put all the previously-played music back on the racks while Blaine got his in order, they kept talking about the previous song and Kurt's family. "Hey, do you remember that cover of ['Just the Two of Us'](https://youtu.be/_WamkRSDeD8) that Will Smith did?"

Blaine did. "Oh yeah, I think it was from that Austin Powers movie, right? Dr. Evil and Mini Me?"

"That's the one," Kurt confirmed. "You know, after mom died, Dad and I, we struggled. I mean I wasn't the kind of kid you took to Little League. He humored me with my tea parties and ballet classes, but those were never really his thing. But one thing I remember was him closing up the shop, and that Will Smith song came on the radio. He got that little sad look in his eyes, but then something else. I think it was the new lyrics. When he realized Will was singing about his son, the funniest thing happened..."

"Um, Kurt?" Blaine interrupted. "Your song is fading out."

 _"Shit!"_ Kurt spun in his chair and flipped the mic on a little abruptly. "Ah, NYADA Radio, that was 'Old Town Road' by Lil Nas X, from Brett to Charlene, and while that's not really my idea of a love song, well you guys do you. And we have Blaine Anderson next in the studio." Kurt motioned Blaine to the other studio mic. "Blaine, what do you have coming up for us?"

Blaine took the second mic and swung it to himself as Kurt potted up his volume on the board. "Well Kurt, the latest from Capital Cities, some classic Katy Perry, and of course, our listeners' dedications. If you'll just hand over that bow and arrow I'll be happy to take the Cupid duties over." Blaine cringed internally as he read off the promotional copy Wes had put together. 

"And I'll be happy to give them to you! One last dedication before I go, however...this one is to Ryder from...oh, a secret admirer! Oooh, I'm always up for a little mystery! Our secret admirer tells Ryder that they think he's cute as a button and that they'd love to star gaze together sometime. Well good luck with that! Here's Stephen Jerzak with 'Cute,' on NYADA Radio 91.1 FM." Kurt flipped the mics and sank in his chair as the Bieber-esque song strummed through the studio speakers. "See the kind of dreck I have to play? I had to hunt this down on _MySpace!_ I didn't think that still existed!"

"Yeah, I think it's just a musician site now.” As Blaine listened to the pop-y melody, he had a realization. “Oh my God, I know this! Have you ever seen the video?”

“No, why?” 

“Just, pull up YouTube on your phone.” Kurt did so, searching for the artist and title and pressing play. Immediately he laughed. “Good lord, that _hair!_ What year is this from? And is that Zoey 101?”

“I don’t know, it does look like her, doesn’t it? Just wait.” While Kurt was watching the video, Blaine maneuvered around to the sound board; they swapped places like they’d practiced forever. Blaine remembered seeing the video years ago. How the lyrics were all cheesy pick-up lines, and all the crazy scenarios were out of some bad fanfic. As Blaine popped in the CD for the next song, he heard Kurt say “oh my God, what the _fuck?”_

“Got to the part with Darth Vader, huh?”

“Who made this? Who thought this was a good idea, I mean _what is happening_ in this video?” Kurt put his phone down as the video finished. “Did someone actually pay to make this?”

“Yeah, there’s a reason he hasn’t really had much out since.” While Blaine pressed play on the next song, he remembered Kurt had been in the middle of a story about his dad. “So, before the break, you were saying..."

"Saying what?" Kurt seemed a little confused, but Blaine knew first hand how much adrenaline pumps through you when you have a near-dead-air moment.

"About your dad and the Will Smith song, the funniest thing?"

"Oh, yes! So we're alone in the shop, and he just takes my hand, and we start dancing. He twirled me a couple of times, and by the end we were both smiling and laughing. He hugged me and said ‘I hope I can be as good a dad for you as you are a son to me.’ It was one of those times I felt like maybe we were going to be okay. Not just, you know, okay without Mom. But that's he'd be okay _with me."_

"And, is he?" Blaine asked. Kurt nodded for him to elaborate. "You know, with being gay."

"Oh, totally!" Kurt confirmed. "I mean don't get me wrong, I was as scared to tell him as anyone would be telling their parent. But he said he had always sort of known. We even danced at his wedding to Carole, sort of a ‘full circle’ moment for us.”

“That’s sweet, that you have that with your dad.” Blaine couldn’t help but be a little jealous. He didn’t have the worst relationship with his parents, but it could be better.

“So, what about you?” Kurt asked. _He must have been reading my mind_ _,_ Blaine thought. “How did the whole coming out go for you? Wait, _are_ you out to them?”

“Oh yeah, I’ve been out since I was twelve. It wasn’t like you, like an ‘oh we already knew’ moment. For them it was more of a shock.” Blaine talked as he queued up the station ID for the top of the hour and the next song from the regular playlist, the latest from Khalid. “My mom tried a little more, in her own way. One day I came home and she had rented every ‘gay’ movie from the local video store. I had to break it to her that _To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar_ wasn’t going to give her a lot of insight to my own situation. But I appreciated the gesture.”

Kurt hummed. “And your dad?”

“Yes. My dad.” Blaine shifted uncomfortably. “He bought an old Chevy and made it our _Summer Project._ I think he assumed that doing something manly would somehow make me straight.”

Kurt barked out a laugh. _“Ha!_ Trust me I know from experience, teach a gay guy how to fix a car, you just end up with a gay guy who can fix a car. So, a gay guy with bonus powers!”

Blaine laughed along with Kurt. “So, what other powers do you have. Mr. Hummel?” _Besides the power to charm the crap out of anyone?_ Just then, he heard a gurgling sound. _Was that…?_

“Um,” Kurt looked embarrassed. “How about the power of knowing the best pizza place? Since we’ll be hanging out through dinner at least.” He picked up his phone and started to dial. “Tell me what toppings you like, just so long as one of them isn’t pineapple.”

Blaine blushed. “I’m sorry, I can’t say that. Add ham and jalapeno?”


	4. Tell Me What You See

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the kudos and comments! As a reward, in this chapter we get Kurt's POV!

["Tell Me What You See" by The Beatles](https://youtu.be/bztiAcsATyI)

While they waited for the pizza to arrive, Blaine had taken over the sound board while Kurt sat on the other side near the door. Kurt was only a little disappointed that Blaine asked for pineapple on his pizza (not that Kurt had ever tried it, it just _seemed_ wrong). Because otherwise Blaine was imperfectly perfect. 

Kurt had been harboring a bit of a crush on him ever since Wes brought him by the station one day, and he may or may not have encouraged Wes to hire Blaine in the first place. Who wouldn’t want to work with _that_...dark hair, warm, kind eyes, a brilliant smile, and he may as well be honest, the way his triceps stretched the edges of his polo shirt sleeves made his heart race a little. And the man could rock a bowtie. A little animalistic part of Kurt saw them as the bow on a package just waiting to be unwrapped. But nothing on the outside could compare with the inside...great taste in music and Broadway, a willingness to learn, unfailingly polite, talented but humble (he’d heard Blaine singing along in the studio, but he never seemed to be obnoxious about it...not like Rachel anyway). He could easily fall for him...he just wasn’t sure if he was getting the same vibe from Blaine. He’d misread signals before and gotten burned, and didn’t want it to happen again.

Though, Blaine _did_ show up for his shifts way earlier than he needed to, showed a real interest in Kurt’s life, and tonight had invited him to stay and hang around for his shift rather than spend the evening wallowing in a Valentine-induced depression. So...maybe?

“And that was Taylor Swift and ‘You Need to Calm Down,’ and that was a dedication from Santana to the ‘current administration of homophobic dipshi--’ oh I’m sorry Santana but I can’t actually say that on the radio. Appreciate the sentiment though!” Blaine definitely had the charisma of a DJ down pat, Kurt thought. “Now a little something from my collection. It’s not a dedication per se, but anyone listening who is struggling to tell someone how they feel and needs a song to do it, well this one's for you. It’s a deeper cut from their _Help!_ album, here’s the Beatles and ‘Tell Me What You See,’ on NYADA Radio.”

And that was another thing about Blaine, besides of course having an in-depth knowledge of everything Beatles...he was seemingly in tune with what others might be going through on Valentine’s Day. Sure, there were other reasons a person may not like the holiday. They could be sick of the commercialism, maybe they lost a loved one on that day, or it was an ex’s birthday, or they were fundamentally against the idea you have to be coupled to be “complete” (a totally valid position), or they were that kid that didn’t get any Valentines in their cardboard mailbox in elementary school. But Kurt knew all too well that sometimes you didn’t have a Valentine because you didn’t know _how_ to tell someone how you felt. Or worse, were afraid the person you _did_ want to ask wouldn’t feel the same way. Giving someone an “out,” in a way, with a Beatles song, was so like him.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Blaine asked, which jarred Kurt from his musings. “Boy, you were off in another world there. What were you thinking about?”

Kurt shook it off. “Oh, just still wondering what the whole pineapple on pizza thing is about. Really, Blaine?”

Blaine scoffed. “Have you ever even tried it?”

“Well, no, but I mean think about it. Pineapple is really sweet, juicy, acidic. I mean give me that, some coconut and some rum and put it all in a blender, and I’ll go to town. But on _pizza?_ It doesn’t make sense.”

“Well, let’s break it down then. Have you ever had chicken nuggets?”

Kurt didn’t know what that had to do with anything. “Sure, but probably not since I graduated high school?”

“Okay what was your favorite dipping sauce?”

“Sweet and sour.”

Blaine gave him a look. “Next question. Do you put syrup on your pancakes?”

“Of course.”

“What happens when it hits the bacon, or sausage? Do you freak out?”

“No, that’s even better! It’s all sweet and salty and... _oh.”_ Kurt was starting to see the appeal. But, “what about the tomato sauce? Isn’t it weird with that?”

“Not really. Ever had banana ketchup, or Filipino spaghetti?”

 _Banana ketchup?_ “Can’t say I have. Have you?”

“You know I’m half-Filipino, right?”

Kurt learned something new about Blaine every time. “No, I didn’t. Huh, you’ll have to introduce me to the cuisine some time.” There was a knock at the studio door. “Oh, that’s the pizza.”

“Good, then I can prove to you just how delicious pineapple on pizza can be. It’s not Filipino food but it’s a start.”

Kurt hoped it was the start of something more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to Blaine POV in the next chapter!


	5. I Choose You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to Blaine POV!

[ "I Choose You" by Sara Bareilles ](https://youtu.be/xjE5D9cHiOk)

_You’ll have to introduce me to the cuisine sometime._

Was Kurt asking him out? Or offering _him_ an opening to ask Kurt out? As Blaine waited for Kurt to return with the pizza, he realized he needed to pull the music for the next hour. He went through the dedications still waiting to be read, grabbed songs from the studio racks along with his collection, and the stacks of CDs left from other DJs. But he couldn’t get Kurt’s suggestion off his mind. It was simple enough but Blaine could swear that behind Kurt’s inquiry into Filipino food was a glimmer of _something._

“Our dinner has arrived! Good thing too; I’m famished,” Kurt said as he came back into the studio with two medium pizza boxes. He looked around and realized that there was very limited counter space. “Um, give me a hand?”

“Oh gosh, yeah, just let me…” Blaine looked for a space to put the CDs and the playlist, finally deciding on a spot and hurriedly trying to move everything while keeping it in order. Kurt put the pizzas down where Blaine had cleared a space. “How much do I owe you?”

“Don’t worry, it’s my treat,” Kurt said as he flipped open the box with his pepperoni and extra cheese. “Least I can do since you let me sit in on your shift.”

Blaine reminded himself to find a way to pay Kurt back somehow (and tried not to think of it as a date, as tempting as it was). “Give me a minute; I don’t want to get grease on any of the equipment.” Blaine turned to the mic and flipped the switch. “You’re listening to NYADA Radio, 91.1 FM, that was ‘Ocean Eyes’ from Billie Eilish. Coming up next, we’ll have more of your dedications and your weather forecast. But right now, a news update.” He punched another button which began to play a quick news report, then switched off his mic. “Okay, it is time for me to prove you wrong.”

“Hmmwha?” Kurt mumbled around a mouthful of pepperoni. 

“Swallow first, then, I want you to try a bite of _this,_ ” Blaine said, effortlessly flipping the top off his own pizza, revealing a pie dotted evenly with tidbits of pineapple, slivers of salty ham, and discs of green jalapeno slices. “Kurt, this is the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and spicy, and it will blow your mind.”

Kurt looked at Blaine with skepticism, then took a swig from his water bottle and swished it around before swallowing. “I will humor you, but to be honest I’m not expecting much.” Kurt pulled a slice from Blaine’s pizza, watching the cheese pull until it snapped. He examined it, presumably to assure a bite that would contain all three toppings, then took a large bite. Blaine tried not to imagine Kurt’s lips wrapping around other things, but that was hard to do when watching Kurt’s reaction. Eyes widening, then fluttering shut, as his mouth moved the bite of pizza around the inside of his mouth. The _sounds_ Kurt made did not help matters. “Mmmm, oh, sweet mercy, _fuck…” Great Blaine, now you’re wondering what Kurt sounds like when he cums._ Really the only thing keeping Blaine from tenting his pants at the moment was the AP news reader droning on, since he had to listen for the end of the news and stay focused for the next dedication.

He still had the wherewithal to smile at Kurt and say “Told you. Now keep the yummy sounds to yourself, I have another dedication to do.” He turned on the mic again and read off the weather forecast for the next two days, then picked up the list of requests and messages. “Our next Valentine dedication is from Nick to Jeff. He says, ‘Jeff, we’ve known each other for several years now. We’ve sung and danced, laughed and cried, shared our dreams, and supported each other through success and failure. We’ve been together and apart, and given the choice I want together, forever. Jeff I hope this is the beautiful start to a lifelong love letter. I choose you. Listen to the lyrics, and then please say yes?’ Listeners did I just read off a _proposal?_ Nick, Jeff, please call us and let us know what happened! Here’s Sara Bareilles, with ‘I Choose You,’ Happy Valentine’s from NYADA Radio.” Blaine turned off his mic and spun it his chair towards Kurt. “Did you just hear that? I mean, it’s not how I would propose, but--” Blaine glanced down and realized that two slices of his pizza were gone, and Kurt was working on the third. 

Kurt looked at Blaine with a half-guilty, half-pleased look on his face. “Um, sorry?” he said with his mouth full. He swallowed and added, “you can have some of my pepperoni. Dammit I think this converted me.” He went in for another bite.

It was then that Blaine noticed a smear of tomato sauce on the corner of Kurt’s mouth. "Oh, you have a little sauce on your face.”

“Where?” Kurt stuck his tongue out, trying to get to it. “Right or left?” As Kurt moved his tongue back and forth Blaine found it both hot and hilarious.

“Here, let me…” Blaine reached out and swiped the sauce off with his thumb, then without thinking about it, stuck it in his mouth to lick the sauce off. When he glanced back Kurt had a dumbstruck look on his face. “What?”

“Oh, nothing...hey, the phone’s flashing!” Kurt pointed to the studio phone’s flashing light, indicating an incoming call. “Maybe our proposal couple?”

“Ooh, right!” Blaine couldn’t think of Kurt’s face right now, he still had a job to do. The phone was rigged up to a recorder that could be played back through the sound board later, so he started the recording and answered. “NYADA Radio 91.1, who do I have on the phone with us?”

"Yeah, this is David, I'm friends with Nick and Jeff!” 

Blaine could hear people yelling in the background. “David! Great to hear from you. I’m hoping I’m not hearing from our dedication couple for a good reason?”

“You could say that. We were wondering why Nick was insisting we listen to your station at our party. I mean no offense, just that we have our own music here.”

“No offense taken.”

“So, yeah, it was a resounding _yes_ , and I’m sure they’d tell you the news but I’d have to pry them apart with a crowbar. It’s getting close to us asking them to get a room.”

“Well, tell them congratulations from all of us at NYADA Radio, and tell you what, if they call in later we may have some prizes to give them! Thanks for calling in!”

The phone clicked off, and Blaine turned around to look at Kurt, who just scooted the pizza toward him and smiled. “Well that turned out better than I thought it would.”


	6. We're In This Love Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Kurt POV, for a "berry" good reason!

[ “We’re In This Love Together” by Al Jarreau](https://youtu.be/otVH5cv9z1A)

The next break, Blaine played back the phone call from David, then queued up the next song. “Hey, can you take over the board for just a few minutes? Gotta use the bathroom real quick. And if you're done with the pizza, I can put away the leftovers.”

“Sure, no problem,” Kurt said, as he scooted into the small space just as Blaine was scooting out. “Um, here, let me just…” As they brushed past each other, Kurt couldn’t help but feel a little thrill rush through him.

While Blaine was gone, the request line blinked. Kurt went to answer it, making sure to record in case it was another dedication. “NYADA Radio 91.1, Happy Valentine’s Day, who am I speaking with?”

“Yes, hello--Kurt is that you? I thought the other young man was on the air. It’s Leroy Berry!”

“Oh, hi Mr. Berry! Um, you know Rachel doesn’t work here, is she okay?”

“Oh, I’m sure she’s fine. No, I was actually calling to make a request.”

 _Huh?_ Kurt was confused. “You guys _are_ still in Lima, right?”

“Of course, but we’ve been listening to the live stream! Rachel showed us how to listen on our computer last time she was home. We had just heard that lovely proposal with the two boys, Jeff and Nick, I think it was? And well, I thought about how wonderful it is that they’re just starting out, and how Hiram and I were at the same age, and look at us now.”

Kurt grinned at that, and how far things had come over the years. “So, I’m guessing this is for the other Mr. Berry?”

“Who else? Now, do you have any old Al Jarreau records at that radio station?”

“Probably not, I’m afraid,” Kurt said. “College radio and all that. But I could probably find something online, try to play it that way?”

“Well, if you can, look up a song called ‘We’re In This Love Together.’ It’s a classic jazz song from the 80s, when Hiram and I were first dating. There’s a great line in there you can use. Just say: to my dearest Hiram, ‘like berries on the vine, it gets sweeter all the time.’ From your loving husband Leroy.”

“I’ll do that!” Kurt said, writing it all down. Blaine came back in just then as Kurt finished up the call. “Thanks for calling in Mr. Berry, and tell other Mr. Berry hello from me! I’ll get Rachel to call you later.” As he hung up he turned to Blaine. “Well, that was nice! Did you know we have a live stream?”

“That’s right, we do. Who was that?” Blaine asked.

“Oh, one of my roommate Rachel’s dads. He and his husband heard the proposal and got inspired. This may be a long shot but you wouldn’t happen to have any Al Jarreau songs?”

“As a matter of fact,” Blaine said, as he brought out his phone. _How?_ Kurt wondered. “What song do you need?”

They brought up the song and after some hunting for a USB cable, uploaded the file to the studio computer and set up the dedication. It took a little editing of the phone call, but eventually they got the dedication up and running.

“This honestly sounds like something you’d hear in a mall,“ Kurt said. “Not that that’s bad, just I don’t think I ever would have searched it out. It’s nice though.”

“The song?” Blaine asked.

“Not just the song. I mean, Rachel’s dads, and those guys that just got engaged. It gives me hope. A lot more than I had in high school.”

“Yep, been there,” Blaine agreed. “I mean, my high school wasn’t as bad, it had a no-bullying policy. But _junior_ high? Oof.”

“Junior high is awful I think for everyone.” Kurt saw a look on Blaine’s face that told him _oof_ was underselling it. “How bad was it, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Blaine grimaced, then did something unexpected. He pulled up his shirt, exposing his belly (and honestly a nice set of abs), then turned to the side and showed where there was a small scar. “See that? Busted spleen.”

“Oh my God, from what?”

“In ninth grade, I went to a Sadie Hawkins Dance. I had just come out, and I went with the only other out boy I knew. Just as friends. Well some kids didn’t like that. While we were waiting outside for his dad to pick us up, these guys...well. They had been held back a grade or two, and they were bigger than us, and they...beat the crap out of us.”

Kurt felt sick, thinking of a younger Blaine going through something so violent. “God, Blaine, I’m so sorry.”

“We both ended up in the hospital, and my parents threatened to sue the school, but in the end, they just enrolled me in Dalton instead. I had to repeat ninth grade, but I was definitely safer, and honestly it was a better environment for me. It all worked out in the end.”

Kurt sighed. Even with all he had gone through, at least he’d never been hospitalized. Still, he wouldn’t wish his experience on anyone. “Well as long as we’re sharing old war stories... You are looking at William McKinley High School’s Junior Prom Queen. And no it wasn’t like those inspirational stories you hear about. It was a write-in vote, done as a cruel prank.”

“Kurt, that’s terrible! I mean, what did you do?”

“Honestly, I ran out of the gym. Then I remembered I’d come with my step-brother Finn and his date, so I hid behind his car in the parking lot and cried. Finn and Quinn came out not long after. Apparently one of the other girls said ‘Screw it, if he won’t take that crown I will,’ and claimed it in the name of Lima Heights, then Finn tracked down the jock he thought had rigged the ballots and told him to never come near me. And they drove me home, and on Monday no one talked about it. The yearbook says ‘Santana Lopez, Prom Queen,’ but anyone at the dance that night will tell you what really happened.”

Kurt and Blaine talked a little more about being gay in small-town Ohio...the indifferent teachers and the snide comments; first kisses stolen (for Kurt, by a closeted bully named Karofsky) and first times regretted (a Tyler Oakley look-alike flirted with in a music store; the resident Dalton Academy “playboy” who had lived in Paris and broken Blaine’s heart); the pitiful excuses for gay bars. When they had reached a stopping point on that topic, Kurt raised his water bottle. “But we survived, and now here we are, thriving in New York. We made it.”

Blaine picked his up and clinked it to Kurt’s in a toast. “To courage.”

Kurt nodded. “To courage.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Re: Blaine being in ninth grade and junior high--some school systems have ninth grade as the last grade in junior high school, before moving up to tenth grade/sophomore year in high school. I just anticipated that coming up.


	7. Sweet Creature

["Sweet Creature" by Harry Styles](https://youtu.be/8uD6s-X3590)

“Well, I don’t know about you, but I think I’m happy to take a break from reliving old Ohio heartbreak,” Blaine said, as he queued up another request. Someday he would be perfectly fine talking about happier Ohio memories, especially times with his old choir the Warblers, but for the moment it seemed Kurt was done with the subject. And Blaine didn’t want to be a downer if he ever wanted a chance to actually date Kurt. He was still feeling things out, after all. “Change of subject. What shows are you interested in going to this theatre season?”

“Ooh, I don’t know, there are so many. The gender-swapped _Company_ , of course. Definitely _Six._ Oh and _Flying Over Sunset_ , only because it just seems so whackadoo that it probably won’t play long, but an LSD-tripping Cary Grant? I can’t resist. What about you?”

“I gotta say, I like your list,” Blaine said. _Maybe ideas for future dates?_ _“Company,_ absolutely I agree, I mean Patti LuPone? Come on! I still have to see _Jagged Little Pill_ , too. What about plays, though?”

Kurt looked pensive. “Hmm, well maybe _Take Me Out._ And _Plaza Suite_ is a must.”

“Not _American Buffalo?”_

Kurt shrugged. “Meh. Not a Mamet fan.”

The ‘Of Monsters and Men’ song playing was beginning to fade out, so Blaine raised a finger and said, “Hold that thought.” He turned on the mic. “That was ‘Little Talks,’ on NYADA Radio 91.1. I’ve been having some little talks here in studio,” he said, winking at Kurt (time to be bold, he figured), “and maybe some of you are spending this Valentine’s on a first date, having a little talk yourself. But let’s have another dedication, shall we? This next song is requested by Jake for his girlfriend Marley; he says she’s a songwriter and this reminds him of her. Here is Harry Styles, with ‘Sweet Creature.’”

Once the mic was off, Kurt said, “Oh, this is a pretty song!”

“Yeah, I still have people tell me ‘whoa this is the One Direction dude?’ As if you can’t do pop music _and_ music with depth, or that they can’t be one and the same.”

“Cheers to that.” As the song played, they both sat quietly and listened. “Still, it’s kind of a sad song for Valentine’s, right?”

“I don’t think so,” Blaine said. “I mean it’s melancholy, sure. He’s singing about them having difficulties. But they stick it out because they’re still in love. I think that makes it hopeful.”

Kurt looked down and smiled. “You sure do have a lot of that, huh?”

“I try, at least. Don’t get me wrong. I think there are some couples that are probably better off apart. But I think so long as the love is still there, it’s worth working out. If it’s not, then it’s not.” Blaine decided to open up a little more. “Like, honestly, my parents. My brother and I could tell. At some point in their marriage, they started to act more like roommates than a couple. I think they stayed together for the whole ‘think of the children!’ reason. But I don’t think kids are happy knowing their parents are miserable together. And if the kid thinks ‘hey, they’re only staying together because of _me,’_ the kid ends up blaming themselves for their mom and dad’s unhappiness.”

“So, how does a kid get through that?”

Blaine sighed. “Honestly, I think you just have to grow and realize it’s not all about you. I think I had this added burden of the whole Sadie Hawkins thing. Like, maybe if I hadn’t been bashed, if my parents hadn’t had to deal with the whole gay thing, they wouldn’t have stayed together as long as they did? But there’s so many other things going on that have nothing to do with us. When they told Cooper and me that they were separating, it was actually a relief. I almost wish they hadn’t waited until I was in college, but I can sort of understand why they did. I just want them to be happy, just like they want me and Coop to be.”

“But still, they’re your parents.”

“Yes, and they did their job. They raised my brother and me, I’d like to think we’re both well-adjusted adults. Well maybe not so much Cooper. But a parent’s job is to raise their kids until they’re ready to go out into the world, and once they do that, their job is done. Time to do, I don’t know, non-parent things. Like travel, or pick up a hobby, or join a motorcycle gang.”

“Oh God, I don’t want to imagine Burt Hummel on a motorcycle, I worry enough about him!” Kurt laughed, but then the laugh turned into a yawn, and he stretched his arms and head upwards. Blaine couldn’t help but admire the way his neck and jawline pulled, speaking of sweet creatures. “Gosh, I’m sorry,” Kurt said. “I’ve just been sitting here in a dim studio for a _while.”_

Blaine started to feel sorry for Kurt. As much as he wanted to spend more time with him, maybe he needed to go home anyway? “Kurt, I’ll understand if you want to go home and rest. You’ve been here way longer than I’m sure you intended.”

“God no, not until I’m sure either Brody’s gone or he and Rachel are both asleep. Oh, ugh, unless they _don’t_ sleep.” Kurt’s expression changed to one of almost-horror. “Blaine what if they decide to go at it _all night?”_

“Please don’t make me think about straight sex.”

“Well, if I’m staying then I’m going to get coffee. I’ll be right back!” With that Kurt left the studio. Blaine realized that he hadn’t mentioned if he was going down the hall to brew a pot in the industrial coffee maker that probably needed a good cleaning, or to the Starbucks across from campus. Blaine hoped the discussion about his parents hadn’t scared him off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little heavy, but I swear it gets fluffier!


	8. All I Want Is You

[“All I Want Is You” by U2](https://youtu.be/un-rfEyPBO4)

When Kurt didn’t come back after a few minutes, Blaine started to panic internally-- _oh shit I_ did _scare him off, damn it_ \--until he saw that Kurt had left his music and his bag behind, and he decided for his own sanity that Kurt had indeed gone to get the safer coffee choice. He was setting up another dedication when he heard a knock on the studio door. He turned just as Mercedes poked her head in the doorway.

“Hey, hope we’re not interrupting?” 

“Mercedes! Hi...oh, and Sam too, hey guys, how’s it going? You’re here pretty late.”

“I know, but we were in the area and decided to come pick up our music, if you guys were done with it?” Mercedes said as she came in to the studio, Sam closing the door behind them. “We figured most of the dedications would have tapered off.”

“Most of them, yeah, just let me check to be sure we’re good for the rest of the songs.” While Blaine swapped out music for the next hour, Sam and Mercedes looked through the CDs that had been set aside, grabbing the ones that were from their home collections. 

“Um, is that Kurt’s bag?” Sam asked, pointing at the satchel sitting in the spare studio chair.

“Oh, yeah, he’s been hanging out here tonight, escaping Rachel and her date,” Blaine said, focusing on queueing up the next song. “He just went to get coffee, he’ll be back soon.”

Sam nodded, then looked knowingly at Mercedes. “So, what, is it like a work-date?”

“What? No, pfft, of course not,” Blaine sputtered. He then realized something and took the opportunity to turn the tables. “Besides, what about you two? You can’t tell me that the two of you coming here _together,_ on _Valentine’s Day,_ is just a coincidence? You’re the ones on a date!”

“Who’s on a date?” Kurt came back into the studio just then, carrying two coffees and a small paper bag. 

“Eh hem, Kurt, look who’s here!” Blaine said, wagging his eyebrows and trying to not-so-subtly get a point across.

Kurt then noticed they weren’t alone. “Hey, Mercedes, I didn’t expect to see you tonight. Or Sam, for that matter.”

“I could say the same,” Mercedes said. “Kurt, could I talk to you a minute? Outside?”

“Um, sure, just let me hand Blaine his coffee.” Kurt handed off one of the coffees in his hands. “Medium drip? I put a dash of cinnamon in there, just as you like it. Oh and I got you one of those cupid cookies.”

“You know my coffee order?” Blaine said, a little touched that Kurt remembered. It wasn’t the first time any of them had made a coffee run, especially for weekly staff meetings, but usually everyone had to put in their order first. And Kurt hadn’t even asked this time.

“Of course I do. Okay Mercedes, let’s talk,” Kurt said, stepping out of the studio with Mercedes right behind him.

When the studio door shut, Sam wheeled back around to Blaine. “ _He knows your coffee order, Blaine._ Now tell me again why you two aren’t making out like crazy right now.”

“I’m still, you know, trying to feel things out,” Blaine said, fidgeting with one of the CD cases. “I don’t want to make a fool of myself in case I’m misreading the signals.”

“Dude, how can you miss that signal? Kurt’s all but got a big red neon sign blinking over his head saying ‘I want to jump your bones.’ Are you really that scared?”

“Yes!” Blaine startled even himself with the intensity of his answer. “I haven’t been really good at it in the past. I mean, there was Jeremiah, who I completely made a fool out of myself in front of, and then, well _you.”_

“And I was totally flattered and cool with it, and if I was the tiniest bit bisexual I would have given you a shot.”

“And then...god, fucking Sebastian.” Blaine said with a little more venom than intended. 

“Yeah, emphasis on _fucking,_ as in fucking two other Warblers, three lacrosse bros, and a teacher’s assistant. But you can’t let a guy like that keep you scared. Look, I know Kurt well enough to know he’s not like that. You should too.”

“I know he’s not. I just really don’t wanna screw this up. What if he just wants to be friends?”

“Well then he’ll be your _second_ -best friend,” Sam winked. “Now pay attention to the board, you’re about to miss the break.”

“Damn, you’re right.” Blaine flipped the mic on. “NYADA Radio, that was ‘Geeks’ by Hailey Knox, and she’s right, the geeks _will_ inherit the earth, if they haven’t already. Okay, I see the request line is flashing, let’s go live and see who we have, hello, NYADA Radio, who’s this?”

“Um, yeah, uh this is Finn,” the voice on the other end said.

“Finn, good to hear from you and Happy Valentine’s Day. Huh, could swear I’ve heard that name before. Anyway, do you have a song request, or dedication?”

“Yeah, I do. I want you to play ‘All I Want Is You,’ by U2, and dedicate it to Rachel. Tell her I won’t stop believing in us. No matter how far away, or how long we’re apart, all the promises we made, I, I plan to keep them.”

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

The moment the studio door closed behind them, Mercedes spun around and poked Kurt in the chest. “Okay Hummel, what the hell are you doing?”

“Hey! Don’t poke so hard, you know I bruise easily,” Kurt flinched. “What do you mean, what the hell am I doing?”

“You can’t fool me, Kurt. You know his coffee order, just off the top of your head? We’ve known each other since sophomore year of high school, and you still don’t know mine.”

“Only because you change your order every time Starbucks comes out with something new, like mermaid frappuccinos or pegasus lattes or something. Blaine’s order is simple, it doesn’t mean anything.”

 _“Mmm-hmm._ Kurt I know when you have it bad, remember? When I see you after you’ve switched shifts with Blaine, you look like a lovesick fool. You hum the soundtrack to _Moulin Rouge,_ you shop online for bowties, and the other day, I caught you watching YouTube videos of his old show choir.”

Kurt couldn’t deny it; Mercedes had his number. “Fine, fine. But what am I supposed to do about it?”

“Ask him out, dummy!” Mercedes grinned. “I saw the look on his face when you gave him his coffee. Like you’d sprinkled moondust in it just for him. Never mind how he turned into a sputtering ball of nerves when Sam called you and him hanging out a ‘work-date.’ _He likes you._ So why not give him a chance? _”_

“I don’t know...maybe. I just haven’t had the best of luck. I mean what if it doesn’t work and I still have to work with him?”

“Then tell Wes to shift your schedule so you don’t run into him except at the staff meeting. Come on, boo...I think you’ll be surprised.”

Before Kurt could respond, he heard a familiar voice over the radio monitor that spilled out into the hallway. 

Mercedes recognized it, too. “Oh my God...Kurt that isn’t--”

“Yeah it is,” Kurt groaned. “Jesus, _Finn!”_


	9. Still Falling For You

[ “Still Falling for You” by Ellie Goulding ](https://youtu.be/pvP_OwVSFpk)

“That was a moving dedication Finn, and great song! Okay we’ll get that song up next but right now, it’s time for another news break, on NYADA Radio, 91.1 FM.” Blaine turned off his mic and went to get the song, when Kurt burst back into the studio.

“Oh my God, Blaine, did you just put that on the air _live?”_

Blaine was taken aback; Kurt seemed upset. “I didn’t think it was that big a deal, why?”

Kurt sighed. “Because that was my _brother,_ and he just dedicated a song to his ex, who happens to be my _roommate._ Who I hope to God is not listening to the radio right now.”

“Damn. I thought the name Finn sounded familiar.”

“Well, no way in hell am I going home tonight _now._ There are two different Rachels I might have to deal with and I don’t like either one. Mercedes, don’t suppose I could stay with you?”

“Um…” Mercedes balked, trading looks with Sam. 

Now Blaine _and_ Kurt could tell something was up. Blaine was so sure he called them out. “I knew it, you two _are_ on a date!”

Sam and Mercedes shrugged, and Mercedes spoke first. “Okay, fine, we’ve been seeing each other, but just a little. We didn’t want to jinx it until we were sure.”

“Yeah, same. We just stopped by after dinner because we were headed back to Mercedes’s place, and she mentioned she had some ‘romantic mood’ music, but then she remembered we’d brought all our love song CDs to the station for the Cupid promotion.” 

“Well, I think you two make a cute couple,” Kurt said, giving Mercedes a side hug. “Don’t let us keep you.”

“Oh, you’re not. And I wish I could help, Kurt, but maybe someone else will let you crash at their place.”

“Yeah, Kurt, maybe _someone,"_ Sam placed a ton of emphasis on the someone and sent exaggerated winks at Blaine, “like, _someone_ in this very studio, who is _very_ single, has a place that’s _totally_ empty tonight, where you can be _alone?”_

Blaine wanted to simultaneously kill and kiss Sam at that moment. “Don’t you guys have a date to continue somewhere? Like, _not_ here?”

“Come on Sam, let’s leave these two alone,” Mercedes said. She leaned into Kurt and added, “We’re not done talking.”

“No, we are not,” Kurt whispered. “And tomorrow you are telling me every detail of this,” he said, motioning between Mercedes and Sam.

“Bye you guys!” Blaine said, as the studio door closed. He punched play on the station bumper and the U2 song, then asked Kurt, “Did you see that coming?”

“I did not,” Kurt shook his head. “But they look happy.”

While Blaine did some cleaning up around the studio, he thought about the earlier outburst. “So, Kurt, you’re really determined to not go home tonight, huh?”

“You have no idea,” Kurt said, moving his bag to sit. “Finn and Rachel were _the_ couple in high school.”

“Wait, but didn’t you say he went to prom with someone named Quinn?”

“Yeah, _junior_ prom, and that was during one of Rachel and Finn’s break-ups. Rach went with a guy from a rival show choir. They gave each other menacing looks all night. Everyone was sure Finn and Jesse would eventually get into a fight, that is until they announced my ‘coronation’ and then all the attention shifted.” Kurt paused and took a sip of what Blaine assumed was a nonfat mocha _(of course he also knew Kurt’s coffee order)._ “Now _senior_ year was intense. They were the it-couple, show choir royalty, even got crowned prom king and queen. Hell they almost got _married.”_

“Married? Wow, that’s dedication. So, what happened? They’re not together now.”

“NYADA happened. Rachel got in, but she hated the idea of leaving him behind. Then he went and joined the _army,_ of all things, and all but forced her onto the train to New York. Time and distance did the rest. I think Finn was hoping Rachel would just be too busy with classes and auditions to actually date anyone else.”

“And yet…”

“Yeah, _and yet._ I love her but the thing is, Rachel’s self-centered. She’s loving this thing with Brody because she’s living out a ‘falling in love in the City’ fantasy. But when she hears that Finn dedicated that song she’ll also have the ‘hometown lover pining away for her,’ and she’ll get all _dramatic_ and _torn_ and there is not enough booze in the loft to deal with that, or enough places to hide from it.”

The song was ending, so Kurt stopped while Blaine turned back to the mic. “NYADA Radio 91.1, that was U2. We are back with more of your Valentine’s Day dedications! So earlier we had a song from Jake to Marley, well, we got an email from Marley! So great to know you guys are listening in and hearing these great dedications, and you know, you can always email us at the station, our address is radio@nyada.edu. Marley asks if we could dedicate Ellie Goulding’s ‘Still Falling for You’ to Jake. Well Marley we will definitely do that, so here’s your request, on 91.1 FM.” When Blaine turned off the mic, he thought more about Kurt’s dilemma. He _could_ help; Sam wasn’t coming home tonight. And it’s not like anything had to happen. “Kurt, if going back to the loft is going to be that big of a burden for you, why don’t you stay at my place? I have a big futon sofa you can crash on.”

“Are you sure you wouldn’t mind?” If Blaine didn’t know any better, Kurt actually looked excited at the prospect. “I don’t want to inconvenience you, or Sam.”

“Not at all. Besides I think Sam was pretty clear he would be with Mercedes tonight, you could probably even stay in his room,” Blaine confirmed. It seemed everyone was coupling up, now that he thought about it. Not that he and Kurt were coupling up; he wasn’t about to get his hopes up too high. Just, having Kurt at his place would be a nice opportunity to get to know him more outside the radio station. “I’ll just scrounge up a spare toothbrush and some pajamas. I’d hate for you to wrinkle your clothes up sleeping.”

“You would, huh?” Kurt asked. 

_I’d rather wrinkle your clothes in other ways besides sleeping,_ Blaine thought to himself. _Gah, too soon!_ “Of course. You dress too impeccably for that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So in case you were wondering...a lot of the "Prom Queen" canon was jossed in this fic since Kurt and Blaine didn't meet in high school. Blaine didn't sing "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You" at prom, so Finn and Jesse didn't bump into each other dancing, so they didn't get tossed out for fighting, etc.


	10. Only Us

[ “Only Us” from _Dear Evan Hansen_ ](https://youtu.be/s1Evnzkez7o)

As Blaine was approaching the last hour of the airshift, he began pulling more songs from the remainder of the requests. There was no way they were going to get to all of them, and at 10 p.m. he was expected to switch the station to their syndicated satellite programming, so he and Kurt focused on love songs they actually liked...and laughed at the ones that ended up in their personal ‘reject pile’:

“Who requests ‘Blurred Lines’ on Valentine’s Day? I have half a mind to call the police on this one.”

“Oh God, ‘Fat-Bottomed Girls?’ I love Freddie Mercury and I’m all for body positivity, but Lauren you deserve better.”

“Not ‘The Thong Song’...just, _no._ Honey I don’t care if it was played at your wedding, that was the _wrong song.”_

“ _Another_ Robin Thicke song? ‘When I Get You Alone.’ Been there, done that. Trust me man, I’m saving you from yourself.”

“‘Run Joey Run?' _'Run Joey Run?!?!?!’”_

Kurt went quiet all of a sudden. Blaine wasn’t sure why (did Kurt have a particular attachment to ‘Run Joey Run?’), until he saw the smile on Kurt’s face, full to bursting. “Oh my God, Mason McCarthy I could _kiss_ you!” Kurt exclaimed.

 _Wait, who the hell was Mason? Don’t be jealous, Blaine…_ “Why do you want to kiss this Mason guy?”

“Look,” Kurt said, giving the dedication page to Blaine while he dug through his own personal collection of music. “I love this song so much, I sing it in the shower, ugh, thank God someone out there has _taste!”_

Blaine read the dedication aloud, and had to agree. “‘My dearest Jane, the rest of the world falls away when I’m with you, love Mason.’ Kurt you’re right this song is perfect!”

“Put it in, put it in, we _have_ to play this one next!” Kurt whined, shaking the _Dear Evan Hansen Original Cast_ CD at Blaine for him to take. Blaine laughed, enjoying Kurt’s enthusiasm, a far cry from the cynic ready to burn Firehouse CDs in effigy a few hours before. He took the disc, put it in the player and queued up the song. Just as he was about to play the Cupid promo to segue into it, Kurt added, “and you have to sing it with me!”

“What?”

“Don’t get modest with me, I’ve heard you at Callbacks, now do this song with me...I get to be Zoe, of course.”

Blaine shook his head, murmuring in agreement “of course,” as he flipped the switches and potted up the volume on the board, the piano’s mellow, steady introduction floating out of the speakers and filling the studio. When the familiar first lyrics began, the clear alto voice of the actress who played Zoe fell fuzzily into the background when Kurt began to sing: 

> _I don’t need you to sell me on reasons to want you_
> 
> _I don’t need you to search for the proof that I should_
> 
> _You don’t have to convince me_
> 
> _You don’t have to be scared you’re not enough_
> 
> _‘Cause what we’ve got going is good_

_Wow._ Blaine couldn’t find the words to describe hearing Kurt sing for the first time. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t heard him before--wait, didn’t he say he’d heard Blaine sing at Callbacks? When? And if Kurt was there then what the hell was he doing hanging back when he could have been showing the world this beautiful, controlled, emotive, _exquisite_ voice? 

> _So what if it’s us?_
> 
> _What if it’s us_
> 
> _And only us_
> 
> _And what came before won’t count anymore or matter?_
> 
> _Can we try that?_

As Kurt sang, Blaine realized that he wasn’t just singing out into the studio, but _to Blaine,_ as if they were on the stage, sitting on the bed in Evan’s bedroom. But it didn’t feel at all like Zoe singing to Evan, like two actors in a performance. It felt like _them._ Two real people singing, _what if it’s you, and what if it’s me?_

Blaine nearly missed his cue as Kurt sang _What do you say_ but easily picked up on Ben Platt’s lyric:

> _I never thought there’d be someone like you who would want me_
> 
> _So I give you ten thousand reasons to not let me go_
> 
> _But if you really see me_
> 
> _If you like me for me and nothing else_
> 
> _Well, that’s all that I’ve wanted for longer than you could possibly know_

Singing like this with Kurt felt as natural as breathing. More than that, he almost felt _high_ singing with him, _to_ him. Like the air in the studio was charged with electricity and became a magnetic field, making them pull closer to each other.

> _So it can be us_
> 
> _It can be us_
> 
> _And only us_

Blaine only hoped that they harmonized as well...he would soon find out:

> _It’s not so impossible_
> 
> _Nobody else but the two of us here_
> 
> _'Cause you’re saying it’s possible_
> 
> _We can just watch the whole world disappear_

As he and Kurt sang, he could practically see their voices intertwining between them, perfect harmonies wrapping around each other like ribbons of color and sound. It wasn’t hard to imagine how their bodies could wrap around each other as well. He could easily get lost in Kurt’s voice, his eyes, his arms, for forever.

> _The world falls away_
> 
> _The world falls away_
> 
> _And it’s only us_

As the song faded out, Blaine was frozen in Kurt’s stare. For a moment he could believe the world had indeed fallen away, leaving only them. Until the silence reminded him he was still on the air. He shook himself out of the moment to turn on the mic. “Um, that was ‘Only Us,’ from _Dear Evan Hansen,_ and that was...um…” Kurt hurriedly handed the dedication sheet to Blaine. “Um, yes, that was to Mason from Jane, uh, I mean Jason from Maine, uh, crap, _to_ Jane, _from_ Mason, yes. So, now would be when we play another dedication…” 

Blaine looked over at the second CD player and realized _he didn’t have a song queued up._ “So, we’ll, uh hear from Ken Tanaka!” He looked over at Kurt, hoping the _please grab the song I’m referencing I’m so sorry_ he wanted to say was coming across. It must have, because Kurt was looking at him like he had grown horns. Kurt moved around to Blaine’s side, popped in the disc and pressed play, as Blaine continued. “Ken sends this out to his new bride, one of the finer things in his life, on NYADA 91.1!” He switched off the mic as new lyrics played: “Ooh that dress so scandalous, and you know another [edit] can’t handle this…”

Blaine sighed in relief, hoping the tiny moment of dead air wasn’t _too_ detrimental. Too bad he was pretty sure “Thong Song” just killed the mood. He turned from the board to suddenly find Kurt just inches from his face. Kurt’s mouth was dropped open just the slightest. _If I lean in just a little more…_

Kurt blinked. “Um, I need to eject my CD.” He quickly grabbed the disc and turned away.

Was Blaine crazy, or did Kurt look like he wanted to lean in, too?


	11. Two Is Better Than One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The action moves over to Mercedes' place and POV, but fear not, we will return to our lovable dumbasses next chapter!

[“Two Is Better Than One” by Boys Like Girls feat. Taylor Swift](https://youtu.be/AW3RspM7v9M)

Once Sam and Mercedes arrived back at her place, after leaving Kurt and Blaine back at the station, Sam immediately closed the door, then pressed himself against Mercedes’s back and began trailing kisses along the nape of her neck.

“Sam, slow down, we have all evening. Now which of these albums do you want to put on first?”

“I don’t care,” Sam murmured against her shoulder. “You pick, and I'll light some candles to set the mood. Be right back.”

While Sam went to the kitchen to grab candles and a lighter, Mercedes turned to the small stereo in the living room. It was a going-away present from her parents when she first left Lima, and for a small unit it did everything...an FM radio, CD player, turntable for vinyl, plus a USB port to plug in an iPhone or jump drive, so she could make digital copies of all her old stuff. She had built up quite the eclectic collection of music to go with it through second-hand record shops and friends. Which was why by the time Sam had arranged and lit candles all over the place, she was _still_ debating between a Sam Cooke album and a Brownstone CD.

“Babe, just turn on the radio,” Sam said. “The station’s doing love songs for the rest of the night anyway.”

Mercedes put down the records she was deciding between and turned on the radio instead. “I guess you’re right. I just wanted everything to be perfect.”

“Hey, everything _is_ perfect. ‘Cause I’m with you. Now come here,” Sam said, pulling Mercedes close and beginning to sway her in a slow dance. As they rocked back and forth to the music, Sam sang softly in her ear, _“I remember every look upon your face, the way you roll your eyes, the way you taste, you make it hard for breathing._ You know I still remember the first time we met. Even what you wore. That red shirt and jeans with the black leather jacket.”

“You still remember that?” Mercedes asked, and Sam nodded. “That was the first day of orientation at the studio, when Wes paired off the new DJs with us ‘olds’ for training. I think he had an ulterior motive when he asked me to train you on the, _oh, ahh, Sam_ , uh, sound board…” Mercedes was quickly distracted by Sam’s nibbling on her neck, right below her ear. Soon they had swayed right onto the couch, quickly transitioning from dancing to making out, as the song continued to fade.

The music was soon replaced with a familiar voice. “NYADA Radio 91.1 FM, that was the Massachusetts band Boys Like Girls featuring Taylor Swift, with ‘Two Is Better Than One.’ That song was dedicated to Kitty from Roderick, and Roderick wants to tell Kitty that this could be something. Well Roderick I hope it is. This is Blaine and we have some more dedications coming up as we approach the end of another Valentine’s Day…”

“Hey, hey, where are you going?” Sam asked, as Mercedes pulled away from his lips. 

Mercedes sighed. “Isn’t it weird?”

“What’s weird, hearing Blaine’s voice on the radio while we’re making out? I can ignore it if you can.” Sam moved in to resume what had been some epic kissing, but Mercedes moved back further.

“No, the way that _your_ best friend and _my_ best friend are obviously crazy about each other, but are being so damn stubborn and stupid and _scared_ that it’s interrupting our date.”

“Babe, _they_ aren’t doing any interrupting. Do you see them here? Are they hiding behind the couch, or are they under the coffee table?”

Mercedes had to admit, he had a point. “Ugh, you’re right. It’s our first Valentine’s Day, I just need to focus on us. It’s you and me, and candlelight, and...listen to that.” Blaine’s voice was gone, replaced by an unfamiliar but nice-sounding 90s power ballad. “Romantic music. That’s all we need. Now come here.” Sam smiled and leaned back in, his hand caressing the back of Mercedes’ neck, kissing her deeply and pressing her back into the arm of the sofa. Mercedes hummed into the kiss, letting his tongue slip past her lips and slide against hers. This was so nice, and Sam was so warm, his weight settled against her.

Then suddenly the weight was gone. “Damn it Mercedes, now you have me thinking about them. And it’s making kissing you _very_ confusing, because I should be thinking of you, and instead I’m thinking about two dudes,” Sam said. He quickly shook his head, “I mean, not like _that,_ which to be clear wouldn’t be bad, just I should be thinking of only _you,_ and...”

“Sam, shush, I get it, okay?” Mercedes laughed. “We care about our idiot friends too much. That’s not entirely a bad thing. I like that you care so much for Blaine’s happiness, just like I care about Kurt's. The fact you’re such a good friend is one of the things that makes you so attractive.”

“Not my abs?”

“Well, I said _one_ of the things, didn’t I? Your abs, and your lips, which need to be back on me, by the way,” Mercedes purred, coaxing Sam back into more kissing.

They had just managed to get back into the groove of making out, Mercedes slipping her fingers under Sam’s shirt to feel those abs she had been complimenting a while ago. She vaguely recognized the song playing from some musical album Kurt owned, when she heard silence, followed by Blaine’s voice stumbling through ums and ahs, _totally_ unlike him.

As he rattled off a dedication from Ken-somebody, Mercedes had had enough. “Damn it, that’s it!” she said, sitting up and momentarily throwing Sam off-balance. “I _know_ something is up with those two in that studio. Sam, toss me my phone.”

Sam gathered his bearings and looked around until he saw her phone on the end table and picked it up. “What are you going to do?” he asked as he handed the phone to her.

“What I should have done when we were at the studio, and I realized that both those dummies had feelings for each other.” Mercedes began dialing the request line for the station.

Sam grinned. “So, gonna give them a nudge?”

“Oh baby, a nudge ain’t gonna cut it. I’m giving them a big old _shove."_


	12. Happy With You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two things: 
> 
> 1) The prompt song didn't quite work for the circumstance. It's there, but I added another song too, linked where it says "The song began to play."  
> 2) Full disclosure: I haven't worked in radio in a couple of decades. I know that most radio stations now get their music in .wav file digital format, so I am well aware that I have present-day Klaine working in a radio station with 90s technology. *insert Zach Woodlee "But It's Glee" shrug gif*
> 
> Now back to the action!

[ “Happy With You” by Paul McCartney](https://youtu.be/7n6UUnoVnTQ)

Back at the studio, Blaine was readying the next request, a fairly recent Paul McCartney song requested by someone named April. He was looking forward to it, at least compared to sitting through that Sisqo song he threw on in a panic. He also hoped the bouncy song would help break the tension in the room. _Kurt looked like he wanted to kiss me just then, right?_ he thought to himself. He also knew there was less than half an hour left in his shift. He and Kurt would go back to his apartment and...then what?

The flashing request line jarred Blaine from his thoughts. He seriously considered not answering it, since they were out of time for any new requests. But what if it was Wes? He didn’t want to get in trouble for not responding. He flipped on the recorder and answered, “NYADA Radio, Happy Valentine’s Day!”

“Heeey, Blaine and Kurt!” It was Mercedes. Why was she calling; did she forget one of her CDs? And why was she addressing both of them?

“Um, hey Mercedes! What’s up? Figured you and Sam would be otherwise occupied.”

“We would be, if it wasn’t for _other_ distractions. Now put me on the air, right now. And Kurt, get on that other mic.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Kurt jumped as if he’d been scolded, and quickly positioned himself at the other microphone. 

When "Thong Song" _(thankfully)_ faded, Blaine brought everyone on air. “NYADA Radio 91.1 FM, that was Sisqo, going out to Emma from Ken. And coming up next we will have a great track from Paul McCartney’s 2018 album _Egypt Station,_ a little song called ‘Happy With You,’ from April to her generous benefactor Buddy. But first, we have a special guest calling in, Mercedes Jones from our breakfast show ‘Mercedes in the Morning,’ how are you!”

“Oh, I‘m doing just _fine_ this evening. But I’ll tell you what could make my evening better, and that is a special request!”

“Well, normally I would have to say that our requests are full up for the evening, but for you we will definitely make an exception! What song would you like to hear?”

“I’d like you to play ‘My My My!’ by Troye Sivan,” Mercedes said, the tone of her voice overly sweet.

“Oh, that’s a good one! We can play that one right after Paul…”

_“No.”_

Blaine was flustered. “...I’m sorry?”

“I said, _no._ You will play Troye Sivan _next.”_ Blaine was about to argue with Mercedes but they were on the air live, and he knew it was futile. “Kurt, you there?”

Kurt almost looked frightened of the mic in front of him. “...yyyyes, Mercedes?”

“Kurt, go to the rack and pull the song I just requested, thank you.” Kurt did as she asked and pulled the disc, putting it into the player and queuing it up without even being asked. Blaine meanwhile braced himself, as Mercedes continued. “Now, this song is dedicated to two of the sweetest, most loving, and yet the most oblivious dumbasses I’ve _ever_ met who can’t see the good thing that is right in front of them, and yes I’m talking about the two of you! Kurt, I get that you think of yourself as some kind of ‘baby penguin,’ and Blaine, from what Sam’s mentioned you’ve been burned one too many times, but the fact is the two of you both have mad crushes on each other, and watching you two fumble around earlier has basically preoccupied both our minds and put a damper on _my_ date. All I want to do is make out with my boyfriend,” _(‘Boyfriend? Cool!’_ Blaine could swear he heard Sam’s voice in the background) “and not wonder if you’re gonna get your heads out of your asses. Now play the song, _talk_ to each other, and when I send Sam home tomorrow y’all better have your act together!” With that, Mercedes hung up.

[ The song began to play ](https://youtu.be/k5TqNsr6YuQ) ... _oh, Kurt must have started it._ Blaine was so shaken up with conflicting emotions _(Mercedes just yelled at me...wait Kurt has a crush on me?),_ that he hadn’t even noticed that Kurt was once again right next to him, just as he had been before. But this time was different.

“Kurt I--” “Blaine it’s--”

They both laughed nervously. Blaine breathed out, “You go first.”

“Okay.” Kurt took a nervous breath. “Mercedes is right. I’ve liked you from the moment Wes brought you to the station for the first time. To be honest, I might have put a bug in his ear about scheduling our shifts next to each other.”

Blaine thought his heart would burst. _“Kurt…”_

“Just, let me finish. I thought you were cute...okay that’s underselling it, I thought you were ridiculously _hot._ But then I started to get to know you, and it turned out the insides matched the outside. And tonight, inviting me to stay so I wouldn’t have to deal with Rachel, or spend Valentine’s all alone, just showed me how special you really are. And I’d like to keep finding out more about your specialness, if you want.”

“Um, _wow,”_ Blaine swallowed. “Kurt, I’d love nothing more than to keep getting to know you. I gotta be honest, asking you to stay? Part of it was to help you feel less lonely, sure, but also, it was really just an excuse to spend more time with you. And then singing with you? You truly moved me. I was just so frightened of getting hurt again, worried that I was misreading the signs. But if we’re really on the same page…” _And wait, when did Kurt get this close?_

“Then what are we waiting for?” Kurt mumbled, moving forward that last precious inch and finally pressing his lips to Blaine’s.

Blaine’s eyes fluttered shut as Kurt’s lips moved against his. He was kissing Kurt. And _holy shit, Kurt was kissing back. “Oh my, my, my…”_ Blaine was wrong before, about feeling high when he sang with Kurt. _This_ was a high. Blaine felt like he was floating, his body elevating in a warm embrace, mocha-flavored kisses caressing his every breath. He could have kept Kurt’s lips on his forever, but he had wanted this so long and wanted so much _more._ Blaine experimentally moved his tongue, just barely against the seam of Kurt’s mouth, and he moaned when Kurt’s lips parted, eagerly inviting the intrusion. The kisses became deeper, hungrier, as if they’d found an oasis after months of wandering a desert. And Blaine melted into each one, even after the song faded out, with only the distant oscillating hum of the empty radio signal in the background.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!
> 
> Next chapter, more kissing!


	13. We Belong Together

[“We Belong Together” by Richie Valens](https://youtu.be/CkSfMj8D-7c)

Wes Montgomery just wanted to enjoy a romantic Valentine’s Day. But as the student station manager at NYADA Radio, he couldn’t help but keep one ear out to hear his Cupid promotion come to fruition. He thought getting listeners to call in dedications would be a great way to engage the audience, boost listenership, and keep the DJs on their toes. And overall, he felt the day had gone well. Sure there had been some unconventional songs that he wouldn’t exactly call _love_ songs, and just a few moments ago Blaine had stumbled through a break with filler words, but otherwise he would call it a success. Well, except that call from Mercedes, which he thought was _highly_ unprofessional...he would have to have a talk with all three of them the following Monday. _Just another 20 minutes or so,_ he thought, as he slow-danced with his girlfriend to the Troye Sivan song playing.

But then it stopped, and there was a few seconds of dead air. Wes stopped dead in his tracks. 

“Babe, you alright?” she asked.

Just as he was about to answer, music began to play again, and he relaxed. “Yeah, I’m fine, it’s nothing that can’t wait until Monday.” Until he realized that the song playing was _also_ “My My My,” just a remix. Doing two songs in a row by the same artist wasn’t unheard of, though even that was only on “Two-for-Tuesdays.” But _the same song?_

“God, _damn it”_ Wes cried out, grabbing his phone and calling the station’s request line. “Come on, pick up, pick up, pick up!” he chanted, as the call went unanswered. He tried calling again; still nothing. Finally he tried the office line. Maybe Blaine had stepped out for a break and couldn’t see the request line ringing? But no answer. By this time there had been another few seconds of dead air followed by _another_ remix of the same song. Stumbling around an apology to his girlfriend, Wes ran out the door and took off at a break-neck speed across campus.

* * *

Kurt was kissing Blaine. He was _really_ kissing him. _Finally!_ he thought, as Blaine brushed his tongue against his lips seeking entrance.

Someday Kurt was going to thank Mercedes properly...maybe name his first-born child for her or something. Because her call was the final push they apparently both needed. Blaine liked him _too,_ wanted to spend more time with him, _too_ , wanted to kiss him _too._ Kurt didn’t even want to understand why he had spent so much time second-guessing and hesitating when he could have been doing _this_ all along. When he pressed play on that CD player, the synths filling the air, and turned to Blaine, he saw in his eyes an awakening. He couldn’t help but want to tell him everything he’d been holding in, and finally, _finally_ give in to what they’d both wanted.

A firm press of the lips led to arms around waists, hands holding onto shoulders for dear life, until he held on to Blaine tightly as if they were flying through the air, like Lois holding onto Superman, afraid to let go. When Blaine licked against Kurt’s mouth, Kurt greedily took in his tongue, meeting it with his own in a slick, sultry dance. He met every sigh, moan, and gasp with his and swallowed them all like candy. They turned and bumped up against the counter opposite the soundboard, Blaine pressing him into the wood and dragging his lips away _(no, no, please don’t go)_ only to slide against his cheek and latch onto a spot near his ear _(oh, okay, never mind, yes there)._ He vaguely registered the song fading out and then in again, but by this time there was no studio, no campus, just him and Blaine and music.

“I can’t tell you how long I’ve wanted this,” Blaine said in between kisses. “So long, Kurt, _too_ long.” 

“Me too,” Kurt moaned, as he grasped Blaine’s lower back, pressing him in so close they could practically meld together. Kurt could swear he felt a twitch of arousal coming from Blaine below the waist. “Oh, God, _Blaine…”_

_*BANG BANG BANG*_

Blaine (and his cock, dammit) leaped away from Kurt in a jerk, while Kurt nearly jumped out of his skin. Kurt opened his eyes to see Blaine staring across the room toward the door, over Kurt’s shoulder. When Kurt turned to see what Blaine was looking at, he realized it was Wes, out of breath and looking like he’d run a marathon.

Wes was panting heavily. _“What…_ *gasp* _the hell…_ *gasp* _is going on?_ *gasp*”

Kurt looked at Wes, then looked at Blaine. They both were red and breathless, come to think of it. But while Wes just looked stressed, Blaine looked like he’d been thoroughly ravished. Blaine spoke first: “Wes, we can explain…”

“Stop.” Wes said, observing the situation. Kurt figured he was making note of the disheveled clothing, the kiss-swollen lips, the mussed hair, and _oh yeah._ They _had_ let that CD go on a little long. “Just one question.”

This time Kurt took control. “Yes, Wes?”

Wes looked at the both of them. “Are you aware of the FCC rule under Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 80 Section 89 subsection A, ‘Stations must not engage in superfluous radio communications?’ And that dead air can result in up to a $5,000 fine?”

“N-n-n-n-no?” Kurt stuttered.

Wes stared at his two disc jockeys in exasperation. After a moment he shook his head. “Just...just go home.”

“What?” Blaine asked. “Wes, we’re really sorry, I can finish the shift, and then you can fire me…”

 _“Blaine!”_ Wes stopped him before he could continue. “You’re not fired. Neither of you are. You guys obviously have something else to do, so just seriously, _go home._ I’ll finish the shift; there’s only about ten minutes left anyway.”

Blaine looked at Kurt, then back at Wes. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. _But,”_ he added, pointing to both of them, “we are having a staff meeting first thing Monday about professionalism. Attendance is _mandatory.”_

“Understood, absolutely, we’ll be going now,” Kurt said, as he and Blaine gathered their things and went out the door.

As they walked hand in hand out of the studio, they heard Wes over the monitors: “And that was a special, _unexpected_ Troye Sivan Mini Marathon, on NYADA Radio. Coming up, a golden oldie from the late, great Richie Valens, going out to Mike from Tina, here’s ‘We Belong Together…’”

Blaine stopped to put on his coat in the station lobby. “So, it’s still early yet? We could grab a drink, catch a final set over at Callbacks?”

 _Was Blaine nuts?_ Kurt took Blaine’s hand and looked him in the eye, crystal clear about what he wanted. “No...I want to go to your place.”

Blaine just nodded and said, “Okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter, I up the rating to "Mature..."


	14. If My Heart Was a House

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're almost at the end, SQUEE! Thank you everyone for your comments and kudos! So the moment you've all been waiting for, and here is where I put the warning:
> 
> **WARNING: THIS CHAPTER HAS MATURE CONTENT**
> 
> Bow-chicka-bow-wow! I didn't want to change the rating overall, so if you aren't into sexy times, you can stop here and know our boys are happy. If you are...well then read on!

[“If My Heart Was a House” by Owl City](https://youtu.be/nKYzqA2Vgco)

The walk back to Blaine’s was normally just a few minutes, but tonight felt like the longest ever. He couldn’t wait to get home; for Kurt and him to get out of the cold, into a warm place, away from the world, and catch up on what had apparently been months of unrequited pining. They had talked all evening and suddenly both were at a loss for words.

“Boy, Wes was mad, wasn’t he?” Kurt said.

“Yeah, he was. At least we still have our jobs.”

“At least.” They walked a little further... _why does my place feel so much further away? Has it always been this far?_

“So what do we tell Mercedes?” Blaine asked. “I mean did we really interrupt their date?”

Kurt rolled his eyes. “Oh, we sure did. You saw how quickly I jumped to that microphone when she told me to? That was not happy Mercedes, that was her pissed off. But don’t worry, I texted her and let her know she could resume her evening with Sam.”

“And what about _our_ evening? I mean…that kiss.”

“Those kiss _es,_ plural. You, whew, you can _really_ kiss.”

Blaine smiled shyly, and reached his hand to hold Kurt’s. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

“Excuse you, I’m incredible,” Kurt protested, both of them laughing in agreement. 

“Well, incredible enough that I can’t wait to kiss you more.” He stopped at his apartment building. _Huh, time flies._ “We’re here.”

They made their way up to Blaine and Sam’s apartment. As they walked in, Blaine threw his keys in a bowl by the door, took off his coat, then took Kurt’s jacket and hung them both up. They took off their shoes and left them in the entryway.

“Um, can I get you anything? Water, soda?” Blaine asked.

Kurt walked further in, looking around at the furniture and decor. “Um, water would be great, thanks.”

“Be right back.” Blaine went into the kitchen, humming to himself happily. _Kurt was in his apartment!_ He hoped the place wasn’t too messy; he wished he’d made a cursory review before leaving earlier, in case Sam left laundry or soda cans out. He grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge and made his way back to the living room.

When he returned he saw Kurt had taken a seat on the futon sofa, and was flipping through a photo album. “You didn’t tell me your brother Cooper was _the_ Cooper Anderson, from the credit report ads!”

“Yeah, that’s my brother, alright.”

“I had the biggest crush on him in high school,” Kurt added. Blaine cringed; _ugh, of course you did._ “Oh, but that was years ago. You were _so_ cute though. You always had a thing for the bowties, huh?”

Blaine was glad the conversation quickly turned from Cooper. “Sure did. That was the only problem with the Dalton uniform. No bowties.”

“Well you looked _very_ dapper in it. Love the blazer.”

Blaine sat next to Kurt and handed a bottle of water to him. Kurt thanked him as he twisted off the cap and took a long draw; Blaine watched his throat move as he swallowed. “It was nice. A little itchy, but that’s mass-produced uniforms for you. But the blazer was more than just a uniform to me.”

“What do you mean?” Kurt inquired.

“Well, you know why I went to Dalton. The blazer meant safety. It meant that even with my sexuality, I was still just like everyone else. I fit in; no bullying, no teasing, no feeling like I didn’t belong. The Warblers made me part of the team, and the blazers were like our jerseys.”

Kurt nodded. “I can see that. But it’s funny, I would have been the exact opposite. I would have hated the blazer.”

“Really? I thought you said you loved it.”

“On _you,_ of course. But I just couldn’t do it. For me, every moment is a moment for fashion. It’s one reason my minor is in costume design. Clothes can tell a story, make a character. They’re how I express myself. I think part of it is because I could never be a ‘stealth gay’ like you...not that that’s _bad,_ just that I could never really blend in, no matter how hard I tried. So I decided fuck it; if I couldn’t blend, I’d stand out instead.”

“Well you certainly stood out to me,” Blaine affirmed. 

“You know, I _did_ try to blend in once. Borrowed my dad’s clothes, and if you knew my dad, you would laugh your ass off at the thought. Four words: trucker hats and flannel.”

Blaine guffawed at the thought of Kurt in anything but the skinny jeans and layers he was in now. “I can’t even imagine, and yet I’d love to see it.”

“Well maybe you’ll meet him someday and see for yourself.”

Blaine nearly choked on his water. “Uh, you want me to meet your dad?”

“Sure, I mean you are going to have to earn the Burt Hummel Seal of Approval.”

“And what do you think my chances are?”

“Pretty decent odds, I’d say.” Kurt confirmed. He then sat up and leaned into Blaine’s space. “Now as much as I love my dad, can we have less talking about him, and more of us kissing?”

“Absolutely,” Blaine murmured. He reached around and grabbed the back of Kurt’s head and pulled him into an intense kiss. Kurt sucked in a breath through his nose, then hummed and relaxed, letting Blaine take control. Blaine revelled in the slide and catch of Kurt’s mouth on his, their tongues gliding against one another; Kurt would playfully nibble on his lower lip, then massage it soothingly. 

Kurt whispered against Blaine’s lips, “There’s...something I’ve wanted to do for a while,” he said, fiddling with Blaine’s bowtie. He pulled away just enough to watch as he slowly loosened the silk from its knot, deft fingers untangling the fabric and carefully sliding it from underneath the collar. “Just like a present,” he smiled, looking up into Blaine’s eyes as he placed the tie on the table. 

“A present just for you,” Blaine teased.

This seemingly emboldened Kurt; soon he was taking more command, unbuttoning the top button on Blaine’s polo. He wrapped his arms around Blaine and pulled him down, maneuvering their bodies horizontally on the futon. Part of Blaine wondered if this was too soon, but as he let his body settle onto Kurt’s, he decided that part was stupid and needed to shut up. He could faintly hear the radio he had left on drifting through the room, now playing an Owl City song via the feed from the overnight satellite show: 

_“Chills run down my spine as our fingers entwine, and your sighs harmonize with mine...unmistakably, I can still feel your heart beat fast when you dance with me…”_

They continued to kiss, his mouth exploring other parts of Kurt...his face, his throat, that spot behind his ear from earlier that made him gasp and moan. As they shifted against each other, Kurt’s knee slipped between Blaine’s legs and he felt the unmistakable line of his cock through his jeans. “Blaine, _fuck,”_ Kurt groaned, and the sound went straight to his own dick, which he realized was also near full hardness. His instincts kicked in, and he was soon rutting against Kurt, repositioning so that their groins were lined up against each other. Waves of pleasure were washing over him, spurred on by Kurt’s own vocalizations. He was so close, _just a few more…_ except Kurt’s groans were mixed with sounds of discomfort.

Blaine rose up a few inches. “Are you alright? Do you wanna take a break?” 

Kurt’s face was pulled into a frustrated grimace. “Not really? I mean, maybe? I’m sorry Blaine, but, ugh, something in this futon is _digging_ into my back,” he grunted, twisting to find a better position.

“Well that won’t do. Maybe we should cool down a second,” Blaine said. He sat up and reached for the waters on the coffee table, handing Kurt’s to him.

“Yeah, maybe just for a bit? Thanks,” Kurt said, as he sat up and took a pull from the bottle. He looked back at the futon as if it had betrayed him. “I’ll be honest, Blaine; I don’t see myself having a good night’s sleep on this thing.”

“Then don’t,” Blaine said. “I mean, you could stay in Sam’s room.”

Kurt sighed and looked in the direction Blaine nodded in. “I, um, would feel really weird staying in there. Would it be, I mean, would it be too forward if? I don’t want to move _too_ fast…”

 _“Kurt.”_ Blaine stopped him with a finger to his lips. “I think we passed _too fast_ already. Do you want to stay in my room tonight?”

Kurt relaxed with a breathy laugh. “Yes, if that’s okay with you?”

“Fine with me,” Blaine confirmed, standing up and pulling Kurt up with him. As they walked to Blaine’s bedroom, he reached to turn off the stereo as the song ended: _“If my heart was a house, you’d be home.”_

* * *

Blaine’s bedroom was very much like the man Kurt was getting to know. Neat and clean, in a classic palette of greens and beiges. Photos of family and friends were in frames on the wall. A collection of old cameras and knick-knacks were on top of a bookcase, filled with rows of books.

“Kurt?” He turned to see Blaine holding some folded clothes. “Just some flannel pants and a t-shirt. I’m going to go change in the bathroom and brush my teeth. I’ll leave you a spare brush?”

“Sure.” Kurt quickly changed into the pajamas while Blaine was gone. He took a moment to sniff the fabric and run his fingers across the knit. The pants were a little short on him but otherwise he liked wearing Blaine’s clothes. They felt warm and soft against his skin _(just like Blaine would,_ his brain helpfully supplied). When Blaine returned, Kurt quickly excused himself and took his turn in the bathroom. After he brushed his teeth and lamented having to skip his nighttime face routine, he came back to find Blaine folding his discarded clothes. 

“I know how you are about your clothes,” Blaine shrugged. “I hope you don’t mind.”

Kurt was touched. “No, not at all,” he said. They both crawled into bed and immediately turned to face each other. “Well, this sure beats the futon.”

“I thought it would,” Blaine returned. “I’m not ready to sleep though.”

“Neither am I,” Kurt agreed, as he leaned in to kiss Blaine more. Something about being in bed together flipped a switch, because it was just a matter of time before they were nearly in the same position as before; Blaine on top of Kurt, rubbing against one another. This time there wasn’t the constraint of tight skinny jeans or chinos, but as they rutted back and forth, their cocks against each other through the soft cotton, it still wasn’t enough.

Blaine furtively reached between their bodies. “Do you mind?” he asked, seeking consent. When Kurt smiled and shook his head, Blaine wriggled his hand down to grasp Kurt’s clothed cock, palming the shape of it. Kurt shivered in delight as Blaine tightened his hold and stroked in earnest. 

_“Nnnf,_ need more,” Kurt grunted, taking Blaine’s wrist and guiding his hand underneath his waistband. Blaine’s fingers crawled down and found the warm flesh of his cock and _oh, God, yes._ “You too, okay?” Blaine just nodded as Kurt returned the favor. Soon everything was happening at once--hands jerking in tandem, lips kissing, feet kicking off covers as their motions became more heated. 

“I wanna feel you,” Blaine gasped, as he wriggled his pants down just far enough to free his cock and Kurt’s hand from the confines of his sleep pants and briefs. “Can I?”

“Uh huh,” Kurt breathed, and the last layer of cotton was shrugged out of the way and _sweet merciful fuck_ they were skin-to-skin, the friction delicious. Kurt licked his palm and reached down, grasping the two even closer, the slickness of his spit and their pre-cum lubricating their ministrations. Faster, faster, until Kurt choked out _“God, Blaine,”_ and came over his fist and belly. Blaine soon followed, his release punctuated with a stuttered _“Kurt.”_

As they caught their breath, Blaine reached over to grab some tissues and made a valiant effort to clean the two of them up. Kurt relaxed against the pillow as Blaine wiped the mess from his belly and hand, tossed the tissues toward the waste basket, and pulled the covers back over their bodies. Kurt couldn’t help but laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Blaine asked.

“Oh, just that this morning I was certain that this Valentine’s Day was gonna _suck.”_

Blaine waggled his eyebrows and said, “We'll save the sucking for our second date.”

Kurt giggled as he and Blaine snuggled down in the covers. “And hopefully many more after.”


	15. A Thousand Years (Epilogue)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're here! The final chapter...this one also mature (frankly bordering on a little explicit), but also has some "where are they now?" content so, you know, read with care! If you don't do WIPs and are here for the first time binging it all, welcome and PLEASE leave your comments (if you have to go back and do one for each chapter, go ahead...I'll wait).
> 
> Again, thanks to bowtiesandboatshoes/kriskubed for being my beta during this challenge, and if it hasn't been wished to you yet, Happy Valentine's Day! Now time for the end!

[“A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri](https://youtu.be/rtOvBOTyX00)

One year later…

_“Gooooooood morning, and Happy Valentine’s Day! I’m Sam,”_

_“And I’m Mercedes,”_

_“And this is ‘Sunrise with Samcedes,’ your favorite morning show on NYADA Radio! We’ve got a great show for you today, kicking off a full day of our DJs serving as your personal Cupids, with your requests and dedications. We also have some giveaways this morning, including Spotlight Diner gift cards, a day at Vogue.com, and much more! Let’s kick it off with a dedication. Mercedes?”_

_“Sam, this song goes out to Brittany from Santana, here’s Christina Perri with “A Thousand Years,” on NYADA Radio 91.1 FM!”_

Blaine’s eyes fluttered open. The sounds of Mercedes and Sam’s morning show opener drifted from the old clock radio, stirring him awake. As he tensed and stretched his muscles, he felt Kurt’s body shift on top of him. Smiling, Blaine nuzzled the top of his head and breathed him in.

A lot had happened in twelve months. Wes graduated, but not before he promoted Kurt to station manager and Blaine to music director for the next school year. They all noticed Sam and Mercedes’ flirting and banter and decided it would make a great morning show. The couple balked at first at being on the air so early, but they soon adjusted (turned out they were more early birds than night owls anyway). Blaine did indeed meet the “Hudmels” that summer, when he was invited to spend Fourth of July with them when they were all back in Ohio for a short break, and had seen them several times since then. Kurt's roommate Rachel had been cast as Jane Austen in a new musical, and had temporarily relocated to San Diego for the out-of-town-tryout before a possible Broadway run. This left Kurt with no one to help offset the rent when their lease was up, so Blaine invited him to move in with him and Sam. After all, Sam spent most of his time at Mercedes’ place anyway, and Blaine’s room (not to mention his bed) was big enough for them both.

Now it was another Valentine’s Day, and more changes were coming. Kurt would graduate from NYADA that spring, and was already looking at apprenticeships with some of the big costume design companies in the city and keeping an eye on the boards for audition opportunities. Blaine still had another year to go, but between his radio show (some influential listeners had tuned in and were impressed with his knowledge of the music industry) and performing at Callbacks he had made some useful connections; he was even talking to Elvis Duran’s people about an internship. Radio wasn’t part of the long-term plan, but it was a way to network with music industry people that he couldn’t pass up. They were realistic; one or both of them could land an opportunity that took them out of the city. But they knew with all of their hearts, even with distance, they were firmly in this thing. 

“Mmmm, g’morning,” Kurt mumbled groggily, pressing his lips to Blaine’s bare chest.

Blaine let out a contented hum. “Morning. Happy Valentine’s Day.”

“Oh, is that today?” Kurt teased, planting more kisses on Blaine’s torso. “I didn’t notice.”

“Very funny. But I’m serious. We’ve been together a whole year; it’s our anniversary.”

Kurt’s kisses began to go lower and lower. “Well then I better give you your gift,” he purred, nipping and licking his way down Blaine’s belly. Blaine wordlessly acquiesced, knowing where this was headed. Kurt leisurely dragged his mouth and fingers down to Blaine’s waist, running his tongue along the indentation that the elastic of his briefs had impressed on his skin. He followed the path to Blaine’s hip bone, then traveled the v-shape to his just reward, already twitching and filling in anticipation. Kurt pulled the fabric away exposing Blaine’s hardening cock and set to work, alternating among teasing kitten licks, lavish laps up his entire length, precise traces of the veins, and deep, throaty swallows. Blaine set the pace with his whines and moans; after a year together, Kurt knew his vocalizations well enough to translate them to actions. 

“Fuck, Kurt, that feels so good baby,” Blaine sighed, one hand gently gripping Kurt’s chestnut locks, the other reaching behind him for his pillow, which he squeezed for dear life. He scratched slightly at the nape of Kurt’s neck; Kurt took this as a signal to go deeper, humming around Blaine’s cock as he had him nearly as far down his throat as he’d ever gone. Feeling Kurt spasm around his cock, Blaine gasped, “Oh God, I’m so close.”

Kurt slowly released Blaine, sucking lazily up to the tip and letting go with a *pop.* “Not yet. There’s still the rest of your gift.” He sat up and only then did Blaine realize that Kurt had been gloriously and unabashedly naked the entire time. He took Blaine’s hand and guided it back to demonstrate he was already stretched, lubed, and ready for him. “I woke up a few minutes before your alarm was due to go off,” Kurt explained. “Decided to get a head start for you.”

“Aw, but I like fingering you,” Blaine whined.

“And I’ll let you do it later tonight, but right now I really want you inside me,” Kurt said, already unwrapping the condom. He rolled it onto Blaine’s length, then straddled his thighs and positioned himself, gently sinking down and rocking his hips bit by bit, until he was fully seated, the insides of his thighs pressed against Blaine’s hips. They both moaned at the completion, Kurt settled in, his hands resting on Blaine’s chest and looking down at him with a mix of fondness and desire.

After a moment of just enjoying the closeness, Blaine playfully bucked up, causing Kurt to yelp with arousal. “Move, baby, please.” Kurt complied, raising himself up and sliding down, first in gentle motions like waves on a shore, then faster and more forceful, Blaine meeting him thrust for thrust. Kurt leaned down and held onto Blaine’s shoulders for leverage, as Blaine planted his feet and thrust up harder, hitting Kurt deeper and at an angle that he knew would make him explode.

Kurt grunted with each thrust, interspersed with “Almost there...almost there...yeah keep going, just like that...” His cock was leaking; Blaine reached down to jerk him off, the slickness easing the glide as his hand flew. Kurt began to spasm as he came, his eyes squeezed shut and his mouth hanging open as little “ah-ah-ahs” filled the air. 

His orgasm contracted around Blaine, and it was the final push he needed, holding Kurt’s hips tightly as he kept his cock pressed inside, throwing his head back as he finally came with a sharp moan followed by a exhaled _Kurt_ , spilling into him and the condom. Kurt’s forehead was pressed to his, panting and smiling as they both came down from their releases. Their breathing eventually slowed, and Kurt winced as he slid off of Blaine, cuddling into his side.

Sweaty and sated, Blaine swallowed and cleared his throat. “God, I love you.” 

Kurt beamed up at Blaine. “Mmmm, love you too.” They rested for a moment, not quite ready to go out into the world yet, as the radio droned on.

_“Coming up, more of your requests, including a love song dedication between two of your favorite P.M. DJs! Blaine’s asked us to be his own Cupid for the day...find out what message he has for his special man Kurt, right after we play his requested song. Here’s the Beatles, with ‘All You Need Is Love,’ on NYADA Radio!”_

Kurt looked up from his repose. “Aw, you dedicated a song to me? You’re too sweet...I wonder what your special Valentine’s message is...”

Blaine got up to grab a washcloth to clean them off. “You’ll see,” he hinted, remembering the ring box he had hidden in the top drawer.

_FIN_


End file.
